OPINION: Conflict minerals in Africa
Dr. James E. Sulton Jr.
JA International Correspondent
This year – as in years past – conflict minerals in Africa simultaneously represent a matter of extreme importance and something which too many people never give a second thought. On one hand, such natural resources as gold, tin, cobalt, tungsten and tantalum do not ever cross many people’s minds. On another, such minerals penetrate people’s lives in invaluable ways as practical items for daily use, ornaments to enhance beauty or key elements for survival. Nobody thinks about Africa when they turn on their smartphones, fire up their EV’s, or plug in their laptops. Without Africa, however, they wouldn’t be doing any of those things. African minerals are so vital that they serve as the basis for wars, government overthrows, killings, corruption and neocolonialism.
Conflict minerals are in seemingly impenetrable geographical areas where exploiters have obtained them for years at great costs in African lives and sold those resources internationally to perpetuate fighting, violence, and human rights abuses. In Africa, conflict minerals are eagerly mined in regions like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes area. Armed groups and militias mercilessly obtain these resources, using forced labor and violence to control mining operations and trading routes.
There are many ways conflict minerals create problems. For instance, armed groups control mines and transport routes, and forced labor (including children) is employed including violence. There is human displacement, monetary profits are reaped to buy weapons and sustain wars. Yet local communities see little benefits for these activities, and they sustain lots of harm.
One of the most pernicious examples of conflict mining is unfolding in Sudan today. Gold remains Sudan’s most critical economic lifeline, but the industry is deeply fractured by that country’s ongoing civil war (begun in April 2023). Despite the conflict, gold production has surged to record highs, even as much of the wealth vanishes through smuggling networks. Official reports indicate a gold boom is under way despite the devastation of the war. After a massive dip when the conflict began in 2023, production has continued significantly.
One of the leading commanders in the Sudanese civil war is Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, who is famously known as Hemedti. He leads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the war and has used that army to take over gold mines and arrest rival leaders. As a result, Hemedti has become the biggest gold trader in Sudan via his company al-Junaid. This has given him considerable financial power since the gold trade has constituted as much as forty percent of Sudanese annual exports.
Hemedti’s opponent in the civil war is General Abdul Fattah al-Burhan. He commands the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and has been the de facto leader of Sudan’s government since 2019. General al-Burhan and Hemedti jointly overthrew the government of Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2019 and then led a Transitional Sovereignty Council until that body fell apart once the civil war commenced in 2023.
Historically, the international community has responded to conflict mineral exploitation by enacting regulations like the Dodd-Frank Act in the United States, which required companies to disclose their use of conflict minerals and trace their sources. Dodd-Frank was considered one of the most significant laws passed during the presidency of Barack Obama. Despite these efforts, challenges persisted due to complex supply chains, ongoing instabilities, and limited enforcement mechanisms in the affected areas. Addressing these issues requires collaboration between governments, businesses, and local communities to promote responsible sourcing and support sustainable livelihoods for those impacted by conflict mineral extraction.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) serves as a major, somewhat furtive, hub for Sudanese gold, with vast amounts smuggled out of Sudan to be refined in Dubai. Their activity fuels the ongoing conflict by funding both warring sides (SAF and RSF), who exchange gold for weapons and supplies, despite UAE denials of supporting specific factions. This trade, significant for both Sudan’s war economy and the UAE’s gold market, involves high-value transactions, with official exports to the UAE reaching billions, though much occurs illicitly through neighboring countries like Egypt.
Recently, Saudi Arabia has announced its intention to start purchasing Sudanese gold, positioning itself as a significant player in Africa’s gold trade. This maneuver aims to provide Sudan with a more transparent and profitable channel for its mineral wealth, diverting reliance upon Dubai. High-level discussions between Saudi Arabian and Sudanese ministers have explored collaboration between mining sectors to encourage mutual growth. The negotiations include operational readiness of the Saudi Gold Refinery to process Sudanese gold efficiently with access to state-of-the-art facilities.
In 2026, the issue of conflict minerals in Africa remains centered on the exploitation of natural resources to finance armed groups, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) but also neighboring countries like Sudan. Observers should remember this the next time the hear about a big-time F-1 auto race, major soccer match, tennis tournament, basketball game, football or any other international sporting event scheduled in one of the Arab kingdoms.
